Mardi Parties

If you’re not feelin’ the 18th Street Parade (and Lord help you if you aren’t — it’s f***ing awesome), and if you’re in Westport for the big crawl, you might stop by the Beaumont for the Architects, National Fire Theory and Walter Alias.

A note on the latter: Walter Alias, is a little-known local band who blew me away at a battle of the bands over a year ago, in the very same venue. Walter has a new CD out, a self-released number that looks and sounds like a major release. I’ve barely had a chance to listen, but I can tell it’s big, serious music that fans of Snow Patrol and Vedera should eat the hell up — it has more of a cinematic, progressive bent to it than those bands, even.

Over at the Record Bar, I hear there’s a show featuring Bacon Shoe, a Social Distortion tribute band, and the Pornhuskers. Those are three separate bands. Bacon Shoe is not a Social D tribute, nor could it be mistaken for one. Not even if you’re on ‘shrooms.

Boozeday Tuesday at the Brick brings the Rumblejetts, the Rhythm Busters and the “island sounds” of DJ Zach closing the night. I think some island sounds may be on my afterparty agenda — me and your mom’s afterparty agenda, that is.

Knuckleheads hosts the Kansas City Blues Society’s 16th Annual Mardi Gras club crawl, with shuttles to BB’s and the Grand Emporium. Bands you’ll see: Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys (K’s), Trampled Under Foot (GE) and Mem Shannon (BB’s). It’s only $15. Not bad.